Serenity
by laurana117
Summary: A one-shot. Tigress takes a mission meant for Po that would have been suicide for the panda. She goes and dies in his place. Shifu and Po learn to accept her death. Rated T for themes dealing with death and loss.


Serenity.

Tigress is dead.

Po sat alone underneath the peach tree. The blossoms were swaying in the wind beautifully above him, they were ignored.

The Dragon Warrior had lost the one most important to him.

Flashes of an orange Bengal tiger went through his head. Her brilliant red eyes. Her picturesque stripes. Her perfectly toned body. Her unfeeling but not cold hands.

Tears rolled down the pandas eyes.

Po hadn't even been able to say goodbye.

The Tiger had left in the middle of the night on a secret mission meant for him. It was suicide, but it was something that Po could have never refused.

An army of crocodiles had taken an orphanage hostage, and they wanted the Dragon Warrior to fight them alone. Po would have been slaughtered instantly.

But instead the Tiger had gone alone. She hadn't even told her father/Mentor figure Shifu.

Po wiped away more tears when he recalled the face that Shifu made when he realized that his prize pupil and daughter figure had died. Shifu had fallen and clutched his heart in pain.

For Tigress had left a note for Po and the Four as well as her mentor.

_Po, Furious Four and Shifu,_

_I received a message meant for Po tonight. I was nosy and I read it, I apologize Po._

_It is asking for Po to fight an army of crocodiles alone. _

_I have been training with Po for the last few months and I feel that he is not ready to take on such a challenge. _

_He is also the Dragon Warrior, and the Valley needs him as a beacon of hope. They need him so that they never stop believing in themselves. I sure know that he has been a precious light of hope through the darkest times of my life. And I hope that he will continue to do so for others._

_So I have gone to neutralize the threat. Because an orphanage is at stake, and all those children deserve an equal chance at life. _

_I will probably never see any of you again, because not even I can take an army alone. But I can sure stop them. I see all of you as my family, and I will protect my precious family at all costs. _

_Goodbye,_

_Tigress_

Po tried to fight down the tears that threatened to fall. He didn't feel like a beacon of hope at the moment. He just felt like a useless panda that could never compare to true kung fu masters.

Po didn't deserve the title of Dragon Warrior. He was a fraud. No true Dragon Warrior allowed his most important person to die saving him.

Tigress was already more of a kung fu master than him. She had given up everything, her life and her dreams to protect him and an orphanage and surely all of China. She'd always been the one saving him, and he had never returned the favor.

"She must hate me more than anything!" Po yelled to himself.

"The master of Tiger style has never hated you, Dragon Warrior." A calm voice said from behind Po.

Po turned to see the figure of Master Oogway, existing entirely of petals. The totoise was smiling peacefully at him.

"Master Oogway!" Po said. "You're here! Does that mean that Tigress is here too? Where is she?"

"Only those that have achieved inner peace can communicate with the living, once death has occurred." Oogway said. "And Master Tigress was never able to conquer her own demons and become peaceful."

Po felt more tears fall. "Is she…?"

Oogway nodded. "She has become one with the spirit world. But do not fret, she has gone to a better place." The turtle said. "For she died protecting you, the one that she held most dear. Dragon Warrior, she knew then what I have always known. The land of China needs you far more than you realize. Tigress may be dead, but she will live on in your heart."

"Is she happy?" Po asked quietly.

"She is." Oogway said. "Now Dragon Warrior, you must not let this loss change you. You have to continue being the Dragon Warrior that China needs. Tigress's sacrifice will have been in vain if you do otherwise."

"I understand." Po said. "I will continue to live, and I will honor this sacrifice that she made for me."

Oogway smiled and the leaves dispersed, leaving the panda alone atop the hill with nothing but the tree for company.

"I just received word from the Lungdu province." Shifu's voice said quietly from behind Po. "The army was neutralized for the most part. The few that survived were quickly hunted by local villagers. She did it. She saved them all." He said.

"Is she dead?" Po asked wetly.

"Yes." Shifu said. Then his voice broke, revealing that he was sobbing heavily. "Her body was lost in the wreckage of battle, she won't even have a proper burial."

Po stood and faced his master. He embraced the creature and cried into his fur. "She was always my favorite out of the Furious Five. I knew that there had to be a reason behind it." He said.

"This is the second child that I have failed." Shifu said.

Po separated from his master. "Shifu, you haven't failed her! If you hadn't taken her from Bao Gu, then she would never have been in the furious five. And she would never have been accepted and loved by the villagers. If it weren't for you her life would have been lonely and sad. You saved her Shifu." Po stood. "And I hope that she has proved herself to you now."

Shifu sobbed more. "If I hadn't pushed her so hard then she would still be here." He said.

"She died doing the thing that she loves most. Saving people." Po said confidently. "And I know that wherever she is, she is happy. She is content, and one day we shall meet her there."

Po clapped a hand against Shifu's back. "Let's go in. I'm sure that the valley will want a memorial service tomorrow. We should prepare for it." He said.

The Dragon Warrior and his master headed back to the Kung Fu palace. Without the Tiger master.

Before Po retured for the night he looked out of his window at the stars.

"Farewell, Master Tigress." He said quietly with a little bow.

The stars were silent.


End file.
